


Courting

by die_wiederkehr



Series: Gifts of Silver Light [11]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Cuties, F/M, Gen, do you have any idea how long he actually loved her without saying anything?, elrond needs to just admit his feelings, elves are ruining my life, galadriel: matchmaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 17:19:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1135351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/die_wiederkehr/pseuds/die_wiederkehr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elrond and Celebrían are courting without actually admitting their feelings for one another. And Galadriel involves herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Courting

It was never surprising when a dappled horse rode into Imladris with the silver haired Lady riding on his back. Celebrían visited often of late and sometimes her parents joined her. Though much of the time, the Lord and Lady of Lorien had a great deal of matters to deal with. The residents of Imladris had become used to her visits and she’d made plenty of friends there. Among them: the Lord of Rivendell, Elrond. Nobody was surprised when they stumbled on quiet stolen moments of the Lord and Celebrían, just sitting and talking in the garden or library. He had a great deal of work to attend to though and, often, they spent days apart.

It started innocently. So very innocently.

A single flower set on Elrond’s desk one morning, found when he came in to finish various pieces of paperwork. It was freshly bloomed and brightly colored, he couldn’t help but put it in water and leave it on his desk for the rest of the day. Each time he looked at it, he smiled. Everyone noticed how happy he was that day and none thought it coincidence that it was while the Lady Celebrían was visiting.

The next day found a poem set on Celebrían’s nightstand. A simple poem which spoke of her beauty, comparing her hair to the light of the moon and her voice to bird song. Fondly, she tucked the poem into one of her favorite books and would look at it several times, cheeks turning pink each time.

Neither would speak of the gifts left for them as they joined each other for a meal or sat in the gardens together but they would lean, almost imperceptibly, towards the other. Or sit just a bit closer. For a long time, it was the small things they drew them close.

Whenever Celebrían would return home to Lothlórien, they would exchange letters and elves of both lands would notice the differences in behavior. Celebrían was not so happy as when she was with Elrond or in Imladris. Elrond was less inclined to play his harp or sit in the Hall of Fire. Galadriel and Celeborn would then find reasons to send Celebrían to visit or to Galadriel would go herself and ask her daughter to join her. And once there, the trend would start again.

The first morning after they arrived, Elrond found a book of pressed flowers on his desk instead of his paperwork. And beneath each flower, in flowing script written by a loving hand, were the names of each one and a small note detailing what about the flower had made her think of him. And he considered having those very flowers planted in the garden beneath her window.

That evening, Celebrían returned to her rooms and found a small box on the edge of her bed. Inside was a silver and sapphire hair clip, designed in the shape of leaves and vines. When she went to dinner with her mother and Elrond, she wore it pinned into her hair and a pale blue dress. Celebrían was more than a little satisfied each time she found Elrond’s eyes lingering on her but neither noticed how Galadriel watched them both. And neither realized just how much she knew about the gifts they would leave one another.

Several days passed without a gift being left for either, both trying to figure out how to improve on what they had last left for the other. And during this time, Galadriel kept careful watch of both. Finally Celebrían thought of just what she wanted to leave Elrond, after seeing him return from a ride in the rain. He did not see her for more than a day after that, the Lady working carefully. When she finished, she had a long royal purple cloak with silver waterfalls carefully sewn along the bottom edge and sides. It took the rest of that day for her to find a chance to sneak into his office to leave it.

And her mother saw her go, quickly sending word to Elrond that she’d like to meet him in his office and sending a message to Lothlórien, asking Celeborn to join them. And then she settled comfortably to wait. Just long enough for them to meet in his office.

As Celebrían prepared to leave Elrond’s office, the door opened to admit the Lord himself. Both stopped, watching the other in surprise. It was never a secret that they kept from one another, the gifts the would leave, but it had been something they did in private for one another. Silent tokens of affection without admitting anything. Faced by the other now, Celebrían’s cheeks turned pink and Elrond found himself at a loss for words, as he hadn’t been since he’d first met her so many years before.

“Please… e-excuse me, my Lord.” She spoke very softly, moving to step around him but instead, he moved forward, one hand reaching out and taking hold of her own. A brief moment passed, Elrond marveling at how soft her hands were and how perfectly they fit in his own, before her turned his attention back to the woman in front of him.

“There is nothing to excuse.” He answered, still holding onto her hand unsure if he could bring himself to let go. Elrond would gladly live in this moment alone, to continue looking into her beautiful face and-

The door opened again and there stood Galadriel, looking more than a little pleased with herself. Quickly, Elrond let go of Celebrían’s hand and her blush spread from her cheeks to her ears. Neither were sure what to say despite how innocent a position they’d been found in.

“I have sent for Celeborn. We have much to discuss, I think.”


End file.
